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THE OLD TRAIL 

A STORY OF REBEKAH 

BY 

JAMES WALTER MORRIS 



RICHARD G. BADGER 
THE GORHAM PRESS 
BOSTON 


Copyright 1913, by James Walter Morris 
All rights reserved 


. 

© 


The Gorham Press, Boston, U» 8, A, 


} 


JAN 23 1914 

/ 


©CLA361709 


DEDICATION 

To three lovely daughtersy Grace, Ethel 
and Cleda, this story is dedicated. 
May their lives ever he as yure and 
noble. 


\ 


I 

,s 

< 


CONTENTS 


Chapter Page 

I. Down by the Old Well 9 

II. The Morning Land of History 16 

III. The Sacred League 21 

IV. The Immigrants 31 

V. The Invasion 38 

VI. Rebekah 47 

VII. On the Summer Roof 59 

VIII. A Battle with Robbers 67 

IX. A Dream 75 

X. The Caravan 81 

XI. The Procession 91 


^ V* / . 











THE OLD TRAIL 



















THE OLD TRAIL 

CHAPTER I 
Down hy the Old Well 

O VER by the north gate at Haran 
stood a mansion of the olden type. 
It was built of partially dressed stone 
and rested on a broad platform of 
solid masonry. The walls were thick to make 
it proof against the excessive heat of summer, 
the chambers being long and narrow with an 
archway leading into the main court. The 
windows were high up and small, being only 
simple openings in the wall to let in the daylight. 
The perpendicular walls were topped by a flat 
roof which always served as a family room in 
summer. Over the north side was raised a 
canvas awning for shade during the day. 
Guests and friends were usually received or 
entertained here during the evening where they 
could enjoy the refreshing breezes and the 
brightness of the star-lit heavens which are 
never clouded in Summer, being a source of 
pleasant contemplation to men of the East. 

9 


10 


THE OLD TBAIL 


This home was patterned after the more 
fashionable ones in lower Chaldea, and would 
naturally attract attention not only for its size, 
but also for its elevation. From the roof one 
had a splendid view of the valley, and on 
approaching the city from almost any direction 
it was conspicuous, bearing the appearance 
rather of a castle. It was always open to the 
stranger, and was known far and wide for its 
hospitality. Many a dusty, desertworn traveler 
whose eye sought that place found rest and 
shelter there. 

Whether Bethuel was native or foreign born 
is immaterial. Suffice it to say that he was of 
noble ancestry, and had acquired both wealth 
and influence in Harran. From his ancestors, 
Nahor and Terah he had inherited both fortune 
and a good name, and true to the instincts of 
his race had not left his worldly goods tied up in 
a napkin. In every sense of the word he was 
what might have been called one of the first 
families in Haran. Thrifty, frugal, and yet 
hospitable he was known to many strangers, 
even those of rank. 

Just north of the city, and on the western 
slope of the hill, looking out over the river 
Belik and the valley beyond stood a row of 
small buildings of the primitive type, and adjoin- 


DOWN BY THE OLD WELL 


11 


ing these a few large black canvas tents all 
of which marked out the head of Bethuel’s 
estate. Near by and somewhat in the back- 
ground was a vineyard, together with fruit 
trees, a few olives and clumps of shrubery and 
shade trees of different kinds. Just a few rods 
below, at the foot of the hill was the great well, 
with its time worn steps of solid stone. From 
general appearances it might have been called 
a spring. Near by were watering troughs of 
various sizes for all manner of beasts. Beyond 
these and a little below the main thorofare were 
several smaller springs that resembled holes in 
the ground, excavated along the bank, their 
streams flowing out toward the river Belik. 
These springs lasted only a few months of the 
year, and when dry the well was the only 
source of supply for both man and beast nearer 
than the river. Along this hillside and the 
valley were clusters of silver poplar trees, 
together with sycamore and a few willows, 
cypress and other small shrubs, while mats of 
reeds grew by the streams, and in the low 
marshy places, and a bright green carpet of 
grass covered the ground everywhere in spring- 
time, intermingled with flowers of many species 
and brilliant colors. The estate reached from 
the river far back to the hills on the east, and 


12 


THE OLD TRAIL 


along the old trail leading toward Orfa on 
the northwest. 

The old well with its shades and shrubery 
became a scene of busy activity throughout 
many months of the year. Herdsmen and 
shepherds gathered their flocks there to water 
and idlers loitered about to catch whatever 
news might be afloat. It was also a halting 
place for travelers from far and near. One 
standing there from morn till eve might see a 
servant under charge of his master on some 
errand to the city, or a merchant with his wares 
piled on the back of a donkey, or a postman on 
a swift camel going on business for the king. 
Sometimes a detachment of soldiers stopped 
for an hour to water their horses and rest them- 
selves under the sheltering trees. More than 
once had the marshall tread of armies passed 
along that way, halting at that same spot. 

Let us take our stand here by the old well. 
It is now forty centuries back in history. No 
railroads with their screaching locomotives 
that terrorize the neighborhood, and awaken 
the sleeping baby in its wicker bed. No old 
freight trains a mile long, running over pigs 
and sheep, and knocking people’s cattle off the 
track, and claiming right of way thro a man’s 
cornfield or woods pasture. No street cars 


DOWN BY THE OLD WELL 


13 


butting into your wagon every time you cross 
the street or turn a corner. No crazy old 
automobiles prancing up and down the road 
scaring every old farmer’s horses to death. No 
telephones either, that ring all night whether 
you want to sleep or not. No sir, we are now 
where men take the world easy — and are allow- 
ed to live till they are nearly two hundred years 
old. 

Let us stand here at the well with its big 
stone steps down which men and maidens go to 
draw water for the family, and for the stock. 
That is Laban, the young man just coming down 
the hill yonder toward the well stepping rather 
briskly, and looking now over toward the river. 
He is really superintendent of the estate, and 
general business manager, having more than 
fifty servants and assistants. It is near 
sheering times and he is giving orders now to 
those two men to repair the corrals and then 
go and help bring in the sheep from the range. 
The man just leaving the tents yonder and 
leading the donkey toward the north gate 
is Shuma, a trusty servant that looks after 
provisions for the camp over in the hills where 
the cattle herders are. He comes in every 
twenty or thirty days for supplies and usually 
takes out a camel-load of stuff. There again 


14 


THE OLD TRAIL 


you see a woman coming out of the gate to- 
ward the well. No, she is going toward the 
vineyard over back of the tents and she has a 
basket on her head, probably going to pick 
some fruits, or gather garden stuff for dinner. 

Yonder are two maidens coming from the West 
with pitchers, coming for water. Yes, it is the 
third hour, and they are coming for their usual 
supply. There will be others along soon, a 
score or more at a time, and if no men are about 
they will stop and talk and gossip. If you 
notice some are quite well dressed. But if 
you will come back about the ninth or 
tenth hour there will be many, and later the 
maidens will return from the fields with their 
flocks; mostly they are of families of smaller 
means or fewer servants, tho sometimes daugh- 
ters of the wealthy are found among them. It 
has come to be quite fashionable and a mark of 
social independence among maidens. 

Ho! there comes a man on a large camel. 
O! yes! That is Bethuel himself. Sure, this is 
the day they were going to see the herd of 
camels, a buyer was to be there today. And 
there is Laban now waiting. Yonder are two 
men coming from the west riding on mules, 
returning from a ten days trip down on the 
great river. There were several went down on 


DOWN BY THE OLD WELL 


15 


a fishing trip, but the others I see are not 
coming. And I see a company of men going 
out yonder at the north gate with their pack 
mules. Those men are going over into the 
mountain on a hunting trip. 

Yes, there are other maidens coming. See! 
They have met those returning and have 
stopped to talk. You notice the better class 
of them are well dressed and are very polite 
and courteous to strangers. They are not 
afraid to display their jewelry, nor ashamed 
of their beauty. More than one love match 
has been made here. There comes one now 
from the north gate, bearing a pitcher 
on her shoulder. She is young and very fair. 
That is the daughter of Bethuel, called “The 
Fair Rebekah,” She is modest, refined, and 
courteous to friends and strangers alike. 

What a place to go in search of a bride! 
And yet that is just what makes the place famous 
and has kept it in memory for the last four 
thousand years. But we must go back and 
gather up a few threads of history before 
picking up this link that fits in the chain of 
sacred lore. 


CHAPTER II 


The Morning Land Of History 

M esopotamia— the land bet- 

ween the rivers — is a fertile val- 
ley lying between the Euphrates 
and Tigris, stretching from southeast 
to northwest a distance of some five hundred 
miles, and is about two hundred and fifty miles in 
its greatest breadth; but narrows as it approaches 
the southern Peninsula. From the well-watered 
valley of the south it rises by gradual steps 
to a lofty plain on the north and northwest, 
held in the embraces of the two great rivers 
and pierced by spurs of the mountains of 
Arminia on the north. 

This valley, including the lower Peninsula 
for many centuries known only in history, was 
once the battle ground of the world. Here 
different races of mankind contended for 
supremacy; here the great armies of Sargon, 
Senacherib and Belshazzar fought and died; 
here empires rose and fell and nations perished. 
16 


MORNING LAND OF fflSTORY 17 


Here it was also that some of the Beasts of 
Daniel’s prophecy strove in fierce wars, and 
trampled down and devoured each other. 
Wonderful as those prophecies were at the time 
given one has only to glance over the pages of 
history to witness the struggles during the 
centuries that immediately followed. There 
comes the Medo-Persian Ram in the strength 
of his two horns, pushing westward and north- 
ward and southward till other powers are 
broken to pieces. Then the Hegoat with the 
notable horn, coming swift as an eagle in the 
power of his fury pushing the ram off the stage 
and trampling his power and dominions into 
fragments. Last of all appears the fourth 
Beast, dreadful and terrible, with the great 
iron teeth and reaching out his paw from the 
jungles of the Tiber across the Bosphorus and 
the Euphrates. 

But just now we are interested in one only 
spot in this vast reach of country. In the far 
northwest is a beautiful tableland known to the 
ancients as Padan-Aram, extending from the 
southern slope of Mons-Masius to the Euphra- 
tes on the south and west. This particular 
portion seems to have been set off from the 
rest of the valley by its geographical situation 
as well as by its natural resources. It is distinc- 


18 


THE OLD TRAIL 


lively a pastoral region; and was therefore 
sought by those who loved the peaceable pur- 
suits of life rather than the fortunes of war. 
In the midst of this valley, north latitude 
36° 50' and east longitude 39° lies the old city 
of Haran. It rests on a gentle slope of the hill 
looking out over a wide and richly fertile plain. 
On the west side of the town flows the river 
Belik, and fiifty miles beyond the Euphrates 
rolls her crystal waters from the mountains to the 
sea. On the north the country is marked by 
deep ravines cut in the soft limestone rock, but 
descends toward the south into a beautiful 
undulating tableland, broken by a range of 
low hills that shuts off the view of the Euphra- 
tes on the west. Small streams break out 
during the rainy season, and flowers in rich 
profusion cover the green hills and valley. The 
people are chiefly of the shepherd class and the 
country is rich in flocks and herds. 

This city, in the very early centuries, became 
a military post as well as a center of commerce. 
There were four great highways leading by, or 
rather converging at this place; leading from 
Nineveh on the East, Babylon and Chaldea to 
the Southeast, Asia Minor on the Northwest 
and Damascus and the Mediterranean coast on 
the West and Southwest. It was the eye of 


MORNING LAND OF HISTORY 19 


the East and the gateway to the West; and 
whether the simple-hearted inhabitants cared 
for military life or not they saw many of the 
great armies in motion — going out to conquest 
or returning flushed with victory. It was by 
this overland route that Cyrus marched his 
army against Sardis, and Zerxes led his more 
than a million soldiers down upon the petty 
states of Greece; and here at this point also 
in the latter centuries Crasus met his defeat at 
the hands of the Parthians. 

The traveler today will find at Haran the 
same old beehive shaped huts of long centuries 
ago; their customs seem never to change. Bare 
stones without cement or trimming are used; 
many of them rising in cone-shape with open- 
ings for windows at the top. But in the earlier 
ages some few were more respectable, copied 
it may have been from other cities nearer the 
great centers of civilization. There is also 
a huge castle used as a military fortress, but 
how early we cannot tell; the ruins of it are 
seen today. 

The country is now in the hands of bedouins, 
and has been for many centuries. They love 
the open plain, free life and free air. Over the 
very same fields and hills where Jacob pastured 
the flocks of Laban one can see the herdsmen 


20 


THE OLD TRAIL 


today; and the maiden, like Rachel of fold, 
leading her father’s flocks to water at the well 
in the dusk of evening; sometimes a daughter 
of the sheik performs this task, not humble as 
they see it, but noble and dignified. Here also, 
women and maidens gather at the well as of 
yore, visit, gossip and gather news as the bee 
gathers honey, then shoulder their pitcher of 
water and return to the city. 


CHAPTER III 


The Sacred League 

U R was probably the most Ancient city 
of the Chaldees, and her splendors 
rivaled all others in the early dawn 
of history. Even before Abram’s day 
there was a high type of civilization in lower 
Chaldea. The arts and sciences flourished, and 
architecture adorned the cities with many im- 
posing buildings, including libraries, temples 
and palaces. There was at Ur a famous temple 
to the moon god Sin. 

This sacred structure was erected on a solid 
platform composed of sun-dried brick, cemented 
with bitumen, and standing about twenty feet 
in height. The temple tower itself consisted of 
a series of buildings or stories resting one upon 
another, each being smaller than the one below, 
the whole rising in a sort of pyramid, and 
reaching a height of several hundred feet. 
On the tip-top stood an observatory tower 
where the watchers of the heavens — ^the oldest 


21 


THE OLD TRAIL 


22 

Astronomers of the world — studied the stars, 
and gave out from their store house of wisdom 
for the guidance of kings and common folk. 
They had quite a complete map of the heavens, 
named all the signs of the Zodiac, and many of 
the stars; — all the five planets were known to 
them by name and worshiped. In fact, they 
were pioneers in the mystic teachings of poly- 
theism. Astrology and other sciences flourished, 
and libraries adorned, not only Ur, but many 
other cities of Chaldea. Their books were not 
written on paper as ours are, but stamped on 
soft clay tablets, bringing down to us thro forty 
centuries the wisdom of long ago, in arts, science, 
epic and song. Out of the ruins of those ancient 
cities, covered over, and buried beneath the rub- 
bish and sands of ages on ages these treasures 
are now brought to light by modern research. 

Their history begins really with the Cushite 
population, following in the wake of Nimrod 
“the mighty hunter,” and his great military 
exploits. But in the early times the descen- 
dants of Shem drifted from the mountain regions 
of the north into this more salubrious climate. 
These Semitic peoples brought with them not 
only the traditions of the fathers and their 
teachings of the One True God, but also records 
preserved in crude form from the days of the 


THE SACRED LEAGUE 


23 


flood. It is not surprising that Shem, the 
eldest of Noah’s sons, should have received from 
his father, not only the covenant blessing, but 
also the simple notations an account of the 
Deluge, and the names of all the faithful from 
the beginning of time. These were bequeathed 
to him and his lineal descendants as a rich legacy 
to be kept and preserved for all time to come. 
How these were indited and in what form pre- 
served is not known, and need not be. But 
these constituted the basis of the earliest sacred 
records as we have them today. They were 
committed to faithful men, and God who has 
never left Himself without witness in the world, 
but has preserved unbroken a line of spiritual 
descendants from the first, has kept these facts 
engraven by hand, and deeply imbedded in the 
hearts of His chosen ones. 

Preserved and maintained among these early 
emigrants from the cradle of nations — ^these 
descendants of Shem — was this sacred treasure 
of divine truth. This was the light by virtue 
of which the Sacred League was founded at Ur 
of the Chaldees, at a very early time, in order 
to resist, or check the growing tendency toward 
idolatry. This was probably the oldest sacred 
order ever founded, and tho it was unable to 
check the growing tendency of the age, never- 


24 


THE OLD TRAIL 


the-less it preserved untarnished the seed that 
had been borne across the Flood, and has been 
borne across the centuries. For a long time 
kings were liberal, not so much opposing the 
true worship but blindly confusing it with the 
multiplicity of deities, and religious forms, even 
retaining the old time sacrifices and priestly 
rights. The earliest forms of idolatry together 
with the worship of the Sun, moon and stars 
may have been introduced, not to drive the true 
faith from the earth, but to preserve the relig- 
ious instinct against irreligion and savagery. 
It appealed to the stupid imagination of a super- 
stitious age. It is as interesting as remarkable 
to note the religious revolution about this time 
under the reign of Sargon I, which swept over 
the country. Till then there had been more or 
less freedom of conscience and the people fol- 
lowed their own inclinations, but under this ruler 
the old vague and indefinite forms and supersti- 
tions were organized into a complete system, 
connected with the study of the heavens, and 
thus raised to an exalted plane that gave it 
recognition everywhere. An old statute given, 
perhaps, under Nimrod, long years before was 
revived, the heavenly bodies deified and their 
worship made compulsory. Here may have 


THE SACRED LEAGUE 


25 


sprung the first germs of the mythology of 
Greece and Rome. 

Abraham, while still resident in Ur of the 
Chaldees, may often have heard the old priest. 
Astrologers, singing to the moon god Sin the 
following song, together with many others like — 

Father mine, of life the giver, cherishing, be- 
holding all! 

Lord, whose power benign extends over all in 
heaven and earth 

Thou drawest forth from heaven the seasons 
l^and the rains; 

Thou watchest life and yieldest showers! 

Who in heaven is high exalted? Thou, sublime 
Who, on earth? Thou, sublime is thy reign! 
Thou revealest thy will in heaven, and celestial 
spirits praise thee. 

Thou revealest thy will below, and subduest the 
the spirits of earth. 

Thy will shines in heaven like the radiant light; 
On earth thy deeds declare it to me. 

Thou, thy will, who knoweth? With what can 
man compare it? 

Lord! in heaven and earth, thou Lord of gods, 
none equals thee ! 

When finally a decree was issued requiring 


26 


THE OLD TRAIL 


all men to worship the hosts of heaven, — the 
Sun, moon and planets, it raised persecutions 
against the faithful, and caused them to scatter 
to many lands. There were some wise men, 
even among the astrologers, who kept to the 
primitive faith. Among these was one whose 
name was spelt Melkur-Zudekh, or Melku- 
Zudekh. He was an astrologer and taught 
in the royal academy for seven and twenty 
years. Being a man of great wisdom and in 
high favor with the king, he was made not 
only priest, but royal Governor of the Brother- 
hood of priests. Being of the Semetic stock, 
he was one of the Sacred League, and held the 
primitive faith. Unlike most of his associates 
he saw thru all the wonders of the heavens the 
handiwork of the one true God. 

One morning this Highpriest found one of 
his fellows offering his devotions, and asked 
him what he worshiped. 

‘T worship Bel, the Lofty One” he replied, 
“because he is the beauty and glory of the day. ” 

He met another in the evening and asked 
what he worshiped. 

“I worship Sin” he said, “because he is 
the Lord and glory of the night.” 

One evening when they were all together upon 


THE SACRED LEAGUE 


27 


the observatory tower he demanded of each 
and all what they worshipped. 

“We worship the Sun, moon and all the hosts 
of heaven” they replied. 

“But these are not gods” he answered, 
“these are only the handiworks of one greater 
than all these. Who made them?” 

“We do not know,” they all answered to- 
gether. 

“The God of heaven made all these, and 
men ought to worship Him.” 

“But,” said they, “we do not know Him. 
How then can we worship Him?” 

“Ye cannot know Him,” the priest replied, 
“therefore ye cannot worship Him till ye turn 
away from your idols.” Then he went on to 
tell them how God in the beginning had created 
the heavens and the earth and all the hosts in 
heaven, the isun, moon and stars: — 

“But men grew wicked and more wicked, 
rebelling against heaven, and so God destroyed 
them with a flood, all but Noah and his family, 
and through them He preserved the seed of 
truth, because they were righteous. But men 
again grew wicked in their imaginations and 
built the great tower, and so God scattered 
them over the earth, bringing their foolish 
work to an end. Now men build temples to 


28 


THE OLD TRAIL 


the hosts of heaven and worship the works of 
Him who created all and so God will bring 
their works to naught. ” 

“Now you teach contrary to the great king, ” 
they said. 

“No, but I would teach the great king wis- 
dom and righteousness,” he answered. 

The old priest then lifted his holy hands 
toward the heavens saying, “Behold the hand- 
iworks of the great and only true God. He 
made them all, and rules all in wisdom.” and 
then folding his hands across his breast and 
standing a minute or two in worship, he bowed 
again and left them. 

Some of the wiser of them believed with him 
and openly declared their faith, being members 
of the Sacred League, but his teachings at 
last brought him into variance with his royal 
master, and compelled him to seek safety. 

In his retirement he taught many of the 
young men who gathered about him. He lived 
the life of a hermit for years, hiding in a cave 
where for three years his food and water were 
brought to him. His habitation became the 
resort of the faithful, and his pupils almost 
worshipped him. In this way the great priest 
did a work that will never die, and kindled a 
light that will never go out. Among those 


THE SACRED LEAGUE 


who flocked to his school was a former pupil 
and fellow whose name will appear later. After 
five years he left his hiding place to travel 
in foreign lands. From Nineveh he journeyed 
to Damascus and to Egypt, teaching the peo- 
ple, being received everywhere with great favor 
on account of his wisdom and piety. At last 
travelling through Canaan where he visited 
many cities, he came to Salem of the Jebusites 
— where he was not unknown to a few. In his 
patriarchal appearance with his spotless robe 
and long flowing white beard he was received 
by the people with great respect and reverence. 
His wisdom and piety inspired them with a sort 
of superstitious awe, which grew with time. 
Within a year after his arrival their native 
king died in the midst of some tribal disturb- 
ances, and the people turned with one heart to 
the old philosopher — priest, and made him 
king. For not only had he thrown a sort of 
magic spell over them, but their enemies stood 
in superstitious fear of the holy man, lest he 
might call down the vengeance of heaven upon 
them. The priest accepted the honor, exact- 
ing of them a pledge that they would give up 
their idols and worship the one true God. They 
did, and in their confidence under the great 
priest — king, they grew to be the most power- 


30 


THE OLD TRAIL 


ful city amid all the surrounding nations. 
His holy and exalted character and the pledge 
exacted of the people which was kept thro all 
his reign, may have given rise to the first 
title accorded him as “King of righteousness.” 


CHAPTER IV 


The Immigrants 

M any beautiful legends are woven 
about the early life of Abraham 
that would lend a charm to the 
story we are telling : but one 
leading fact only need be given. He was called 
of God to go out into a strange land which he 
should afterward receive for an inheritance, 
and obeying the instincts of most all great 
migratory movements he set his face toward 
the setting sun. How it came about and the 
circumstances leading up to it were more natur- 
al than commonly supposed. It was no fairy 
dream either but a struggle, a real soul-struggle 
in which the patriarch won out by faith. 

His father, Terah, was not of the same mind 
at first. He was a skilled workman and 
wrought in all kinds of metals and made images 
for the shrines and also sold them to the people. 
This brought in quite a revenue. And besides 
this he had large landed possessions together 
31 


32 


THE OLD TRAIL 


with herds of camels and cattle and sheep, so 
that he was a man both of rank and influence 
in the city. But Abraham was of a more specu- 
lative turn of mind, being a student and fellow 
of the royal school of Astrology. Under the 
influence and teachings of the royal priest 
or Lord-Chancellor, he rose above the common 
superstitions of idolatry till his pure and spot- 
less soul revolted against such. This brought 
him for a time into conflict with his father 
Terah. Sometimes he would reason with the 
customers who came to purchase images and 
try to show them the folly of such worship. 
One day an old man came to purchase an idol, 
he asked the man if he intended to worship it. 
He replied that he did, it was his god. 

“How old a man art thou,” asked Abraham, 
to which the man replied, 

“Above seventy years am I.” 

“Then thou art older than thy god,” he 
said, “for my father just made that yesterday. ” 
“Don’t you think,” says he, “that a man of 
your age in life is foolish to worship the works 
of men’s hands?” Then he pointed him to 
the many wonderful works of God, the sun, 
moon and stars, and said, “He only is worthy 
of our worship.” 

But these things at last brought on persecu- 


THE IMMIGRANTS 


33 


tion at the hands of his father and others, so 
he left the city and fled to the desert where he 
remained for many months in prayer and study. 
It was there he sought the old priest and with 
him sought light and favor from heaven. It 
was there that the clear call came to “Get 
thee up and into a strange land that I will give 
to thee and thy seed for an inheritance.’’ He 
returned and at last won his father Terah and 
the whole tribe over to the faith. 

No, it was not a lightning express, but a slow 
train that carried Abraham and his tribe out 
of Ur of the Chaldees. Slow, though Terah 
had been to obey, he nevertheless yielded at 
last to the obedient faith of Abraham and set 
out with his tribe in quest of a new country 
where they could worship the One True God un- 
molested. Imposing indeed must have been the 
sight, and memorable the day when they turned 
their backs upon all that men called great. Ur 
was at that time the most populous city of 
Chaldea. It lay nearly one hundred and flfty 
miles on a straight line southeast of Babylon on 
the west side of the river Euphrates, and in the 
midst of a rich and well irrigated valley and 
surrounded by quite a dense population. Many 
imposing buildings adorned the city, among 
them the temple tower to the moon god Sin, on 


34 


THE OLD TRAIL 


the top of which was erected the observatory 
where the astrologers studied the heavens, and 
from which tower Abraham’s thoughts first 
went out in search of the One True God. 

Going out from Ur the patriarch on his pil- 
grimage passed many of the great centers of pop- 
ulation. On the third day he pitched his tents 
within sight of Larsa, on the east side of the 
river, and only a short distance from its banks. 
In the dim distance, by the light of the setting 
sun, could be seen the tower crowned with the 
glittering shrine of the sun god Shamas, rising 
far above palace and dome. Then fifty miles 
farther northwest they came to the city of 
Erech, one of those founded by “Nimrod the 
mighty hunter,” with its great earthern walls 
six miles in circumference, and its temple erected 
to the planet Venus, the ruins of which are seen 
today rising in a mound one hundred and 
fifty feet above the level of the plain. Some 
sixty miles farther on to the Northwest they 
came to the city of Calneh where they passed 
under the shadow of the two great temple 
towers of Belus, “The lofty one,” and Beltis 
his consort. Still sixty-five miles farther on 
would bring them to Borsippa where stood the 
famous temple of Merodach, six hundred feet 
square at the base and rising in pyramid form 


THE IMMIGRANTS 


35 


over six hundred feet in height. Still passing 
on they came within sight of the famous tower 
of Babel, said to have been seven hundred and 
fifty feet square at the base, and some four 
hundred and eighty feet high. There stood the 
old city of Babylon, with her lofty encircling 
walls, afterwards called “the golden city” and 
“the beauty of the Chaldees excellency. ” How 
the patriarch’s soul must have recoiled at sight 
of this momument to the folly of men, and the 
many temples and shrines that turned men’s 
hearts away from God. 

From Babylon they were committed to the 
wide open plain and thus for months the dis- 
tance increased between them and the cities 
and idols of the lower valley. Through the 
network of canals, the rich and ripening 
fields of golden grain, and the over-arching 
date palms laden with the lucious fruits, they 
passed on. Abraham was himself the ruling 
spirit in the pilgrimage. He it was that marked 
out the site each night where the camp should 
be, and his spear head that indicated the 
spot where the stakes should be driven. His 
faith never faltered in the face of hardship, 
but like a chief he rode at the head of the 
procession, spear in hand, with his heart set 
on God, and his face toward the promised land. 


36 


THE OLD TRAIL 


After many weeks of travel they passed the 
last city of the lower valley and slowly began the 
ascent to the upper plains of the Northwest, 
keeping near the great river, stopping here and 
there on the journey to pasture their flocks 
and rest. Late in Autunm they crossed the 
river Kharbour a few miles above its confluence 
with the Euphrates, and pushing on swung 
round a spur of the Abud-Ul-Arziz hills into 
the elevated plains of Pada Aram. 

Abraham’s tribe were not the pioneers, for 
Haran was even then quite an old city, having 
something of a mixed population. Nor did 
they escape altogether from the scenes of 
idolatry, for there was a temple to the moon 
god, and the other deities of lower Mesopotamia 
and Chaldea had their devotees. The rest of 
the tribe were content to dwell in the city, for 
they were more commercial in spirit and looked 
with less disfavor upon the idolatrous customs 
of the time. In fact, they found quite genial 
surroundings at once and were accorded all 
the recognition and courtesies due to men of 
their rank. Both Terah and Nahor held the 
traditional faith and kept up the form of 
religion, still they were never-the-less men of 
the world. The city afforded them opportun- 
ity for barter and trade, and their landed 


THE IMMIGRANTS 


37 


possessions were not small, nor had they any 
desire to seek with Abraham another country, 
seeing that met all their needs; and it is likely 
they fell in with the ways of the people in many 
things. Even down to Laban’s time house- 
hold gods, or images were kept and treasured. 

But Abraham stood aloof, making his habita- 
tion alone with his tribe upon the open plain, 
where he could enjoy free life and worship 
God unmolested. Even then as in later years, he 
was looking for a city with other foundations, 
and at length, after some twenty-five years he 
heard the call that came a second time, and set 
out in search of country which his seed should 
afterward receive as an inheritance. 


CHAPTER V 


The Invasion 


B ETHUEL, did the servants take those 
cattle over onto the range this morn- 
ing?” 

“I think so, father, for I told Chessed 
that they ought to go onto the pasture, as it 
is getting quite green, and there is now plenty 
of water. ” 

“Well I am afraid there is going to be another 
sand storm and they may all be stampeded 
again. Thou shouldst attend to that at once.” 

“ Why, father, I don’t think there is any danger 
for Chessed is with them today.” 

“But I see a great cloud of dust rising from 
toward the south, and if the wind change to 
the West I know the storm will be on us.” 

“But it is perfectly clear over to the West, 
it cannot be a storm or we should see it beyond 
the great river.” 

At this Nahor again cast a long and careful 
look toward the South, whence the cloud of 


THE INVASION 


39 


dust seemed to rise and apparently was driven 
toward the city. “It will surely be here by 
the fourth hour of the day.” he said. 

At last he ascended by an outside stairway, — 
a flight of steps made of stone and built into 
the wall. When he reached the house-top he 
looked out over the plain toward the south, 
where he could see the cloud of dust rising and 
yet there was no wind or other disturbance in the 
atmosphere. About the fourth hour he looked 
again, and saw the cloud of dust approaching 
and suspected from its long line the approach 
of either a caravan or an army. About that 
time a detachment of soldiers rode up to the 
well, dismounting, watered their beasts, chatted 
with the servants and passed a few complimen- 
tary remarks about the maidens who had come 
late for the morning draught of water. From 
passing remarks it was learned that a consider- 
able army was near at hand, and that an inva- 
sion of the Mediterranean coast was to be made. 
Among the servants and tribesmen there was 
much speculation as to the objective point of 
attack, or whether it were some sudden conflict 
of nations between the East and the West. 
After a few inquiries as to directions and dis- 
tances the soldiers remounted and rode off 
in the direction of Orfa to the northwest. 


40 


THE OLD TRAIL 


Before noon, Nahor, whose servants had 
brought him an account of what had taken 
place at the well, looked out again and saw 
the army approaching. As the advance column 
drew near he recognized the well-known stan- 
dards of Elam and Shinar, countries far to the 
Southeast. Slowly the columns moved along 
like a creature of earth worming its way across 
our path. As the army swung ’round by the 
main thorofare it sheered to the west, crossing 
the river Belik nearly a mile beyond the city. 
Kedorlaomer with his confederate kings and 
guards stopped at the well for an hour, rested 
and refreshed themselves. The brilliant array 
of soldiery, the glittering chariots and all filled 
the city with wonder. Nahor was not stupid 
nor parsimonious with his gifts of costly wine 
and presents to the great king and his allies. 
It was to his own personal interest to keep friend- 
ship with these powers, and then his commun- 
ication may have had some reference to Abra- 
ham, the faithful, who had only recently migrat- 
ed to Canaan. 

Elam was at this time the ruling power of all the 
lower country, and had been for nearly two hun- 
dred years. Even Babylon was under her domin- 
ion. Chedorlaomer, king of Elam (Kudor-la-gamer 
of history) reigned at Susa and confederated 


THE INVASION 


41 


with him were three vassal kings, Amraphel, 
Araoch, and Tidal, who ruled respectively over 
Shinar, Upper Chaldea and a confederation of 
smaller tribes further to the north. These 
confederate kings had carried their mihtary 
exploits as far as the Mediterranean coast, 
and laid the cities of the lower Jordan valley 
under tribute; but after twelve years of quiet 
submission these cities had raised the standard 
of revolt against their former oppressors. 

Chedorlaomer with his vassal kings were now 
on their way with an army of more than fifty 
thousand men to chastise these rebellious 
cities and enrich themselves with other 
spoils. Nahor not knowing where their blows 
might fall became anxious concerning Abraham 
and his family and followers. He therefore 
kept himself posted as far as possible as to the 
movements and operations of the army 

Passing on from Haran they crossed the 
Behk west of the city, and the Euphrates over 
against Carchemach, then swinging South, to 
Southwest struck the overland trail leading out 
toward Damascus and the Mediterranean 
countries. Passing through Berea and Ham- 
ath, they came at last to the rivers Abana and 
Pharpar in the beautiful valleys of Damascus 
where they halted for several days pitching 


42 


THE OLD TRAIL 


camp under the palm trees and feasting on 
the lucious fruits of the land. After refresh- 
ing themselves they broke camp and by rapid 
marches passed on through the rolling hills and 
wooded landscape of Bashan, and dropped down 
into the Jordan valley. Sweeping along the 
eastern coast of the Jordan to cut off the allies 
of the revolting cities they struck deadly blows 
at the war-like tribes, inhabiting the rocky 
coast and then turning West made a circuit 
of the Dead Sea, marching through the coun- 
tries of the Amalikites and Amorites, leaving 
their chief cities in ruins. Finally turning 
northward they met the allied forces of Sodom, 
Gomorrah and the other cities of the valley 
under Bera, Birsha, Shinab and Shemeber, 
which were cut to pieces and two of their kings 
lost in battle. The cities were plundered and 
Lot and his family carried away with the spoils. 

Abraham was dwelling at Hebron in the 
hill country, now rich in herds and servants, 
when tidings of these depradations and the 
capture of Lot reached him. He at once armed 
three hundred and eighteen of his trained 
servants and calling upon the friends he had 
had made among these tribes, this mighty chief 
set out with a company of nearly a thousand 
men in pursuit of the invaders. Crossing the 


THE INVASION 


43 


Jordan at the old ford they had passed on to 
the north some thirty miles beyond the Sea of 
Galilee where Abraham came upon them un- 
awares. It was dead of night. They were over- 
confident in the completeness of their victory 
and unsuspecting of danger. Many of them 
were drunken with the wines taken among 
the spoils. Abraham divided his army into 
three bands for a midnight attack. He knew 
the army, their leaders, their customs and 
their weakness. Had he not been trained by 
them! Was he not familiar with the coun- 
try! The surprise was complete. The attack 
from all sides threw them into confusion, 
and the stampede was beyond all control. 
Abraham pursued them beyond Damascus re- 
capturing Lot, left behind by the fleeing 
armies, together with other captives, and retur- 
ned laden with the spoils retaken from the 
deserted camp. On his way returning he was 
met by the new king of Sodom who generously 
said to him, “Take thou the spoils they are 
thine, only return to me the captives thou hast 
taken. ” But Abraham answered, “ No, for I have 
lifted up mine hand unto the Lord the most High 
God, possessor of heaven and earth that I will 
not receive anything, even to a thread, or a 
shoe latchet, and that I will not take anything 


44 


THE OLD TRAIL 


that is thine, lest thou should’st say, T have 
made Abraham rich.’ I will only receive that 
which the young men have eaten, and the 
portion of the men which went with me.” 
This brilliant achievement for which Abraham 
steadfastly refused to accept any rewards 
whatever, raised him still higher in favor among 
those nations about him, and made his name 
famous above other men. The report of it 
also reached even to Harran, and far distant 
lands. 

As Abraham, with his trained servants and 
allies was returning by way of the Jordan Valley 
he was met in a vale about ten miles north of 
the present site of Jerusalem by a remarkable 
personage, who was as much a mystery to 
the people of that day as he has been to Bible 
readers since. But he was no stranger, nor 
mystery to the man whom he came out to 
honor, for he was none other than the old 
Priest of the Royal School at Ur of the Chaldees 
who had been at one time not only chief of the 
great School of Astrologers, but also the founder 
of the Sacred League. It was he who first led 
Abraham into a knowledge of the One and Only 
True God. It was to him that Abraham resorted 
in the desert. Finding him there one day 
weary and faint he carried wine and bread and 


THE INVASION 


45 


water to him, and alone they sought a hiding 
place in a cave, whether others resorted and 
learned wisdom at the feet of the old priest. It 
was in keeping then with the old time relations 
between them, and in return for the kindness 
once shown him that Melchizedec brought the 
bread and wine to refresh the returning hero. 
He had watched, like an eagle from his lofty 
eyrie the providencial movements of the patriarch 
and rejoiced in his victory. Then why should 
not the mighty Abraham now pay honor, 
and give tithes to this great man, who had 
been his preceptor and spiritual guide in the 
former days, and now honored of God in that 
he was called to be priest as well as king. 
If Abraham was a type of God offering his son, 
and Issac a type of the offered sacrifice on 
Calvary, why not this first great priest of God 
be a type of Christ both as priest and king. 
Melchizedec who was neither of royal descent 
nor priestly line, and having no heir left as 
successor in either office, became an earthly 
type of this heavenly priest and king. 

It was an impressive scene when this notable 
personage about whom such mysteries had 
gathered, came out in his spotless robe, and with 
long fiowing white beard, to meet the hero and 
conqueror, bringing substantial tokens of bene- 


46 


THE OLD TRAIL 


faction; and then to see the same hero with 
reverence acknowledge his superiority, and offer 
tithes to him as ‘‘Priest of the Most High God. ” 


CHAPTER VI 


Rebekah 

O NE who has not traveled through a de- 
sert in Summer can scarcely appre- 
ciate the delight of finding a spring of 
fresh cool water. The Arabs speak of 
still as “the gift of God.” The summers of 
Mesopotamia are long, and hot and dry, the 
traveler times his stages with these favored 
spots in view. 

“The well of Rebekah,” as it is called to 
this day, was a favorite spot to the weary trav- 
eler. Here also the cool shade of the trees invit- 
ed him to pause and rest. One evening a young 
oiBScer from Chaldea, accompanied by his staff, 
rode up to the well and calling to some of the 
servants standing by was served with water. 
They stopped to talk with the men who had 
finished watering their cattle, making some in- 
quiries about the city and country . The day had 
been excessively hot and the soldiers being weary, 
dismounted and threw themselves on the 


47 


48 


THE OLD TRAIL 


ground to rest. The men and servants had all 
gone but three or four when a maiden came 
bearing a pitcher on her shoulder. At her 
appearance the men all bowed very courteous- 
ly and one of them stepping forward filled her 
pitcher and returned it with a low bow. She 
smiling received it from his hand and was gone. 
The young officer looked at her, half rising to 
his feet, his eye following her as she went and 
then turning to one of his companions said, 
‘T have seen many of the fair maidens of 
Babylon, called beauties, O, My friend, but 
I swear by the temple of the great god, Merod- 
ach, and the altar thereof, I never saw a fairer 
one than that,” nodding his head in the direc- 
tion she had gone. 

“O, my brave young captain,” said the 
other, “have we lost thee so soon? No doubt 
she hath been waiting for thee all these many 
summer days.” 

The maiden was dressed in the best fashion 
of the time, wearing an easy fitting garment 
of pure white linen that dropped almost to 
her ankles, while over her shoulders was thrown 
a sort of mantle of beautiful tint and trimmed 
with a gold-like embroidery. On her feet were 
light sandals, her neck and arms were bare, 
around her head she wore a broad silken band 


REBEKAH 


49 


and her long black hair fell in tresses down her 
back. Her face glowed with the beauty of 
health. 

When she was gone the officer rose to his 
feet and stepping up to the man who had filled 
her pitcher addressed him saying, “Pardon 
friend, but whose daughter is that, pray, for I 
have never seen her equal. Doth her father live 
in this place, or is she some fair princess from 
another land?” 

“That is the fair Rebekah, daughter of 
Bethuel, a great man among us,” he replied. 
“ His home is the one you see over by the north 
gate, the large one with the black canvas awning 
upon the north side, ” pointing with his thumb 
over his left shoulder. At this the officer turn- 
ing to the men gave the word and they all 
remounted and rode away in the direction of 
Orfa to the northwest. 

Rebekah was now about nineteen years of 
age, beautiful in form, a little above medium 
in height, with soft light olive complexion, and 
very dark eyes out of which she seemed always 
to smile. Her hair was black, with a slight 
tendency to curl, and hung in long tresses over 
her shoulders. She was in the bloom and 
beauty of health, and life was full of dreams. 
She caught eagerly at every bit of news that 


50 


THE OLD TRAIL 


floated on the air and when strangers or trav- 
elers stopped to talk she listened eagerly at 
every report of doings in the great world out- 
side. Many times she would look out over 
miles and miles of country and wonder what lay 
beyond the horizon. Often she would climb 
to the top of the hill that rose gently above the 
city and premises on the North and look out 
toward the southeast with its great teeming 
cities, then toward the West with its land of 
wonders, and untold beauty. From the hill- 
top she could look away through an opening in 
the bluffs to the great river with its crystal 
waters ever flowing on to the sea, and see the 
hills beyond that lay in silent repose amid the 
haze of desert born winds. Would she ever 
cross that river ! Would she ever see the world 
of mystery that stretched far toward the sea 
and the setting sun! Thus the mind was filled 
with visions and the day with dreams, yet 
no one had ever marked the traces or shadows 
of them on her beautiful face. 

At evening she sat on the Summer roof and 
listened to her father tell of the years long ago 
and the cities of the plain, the country, people, 
customs and the rich fields of grain, the palm 
trees, melons, fruits, and all the old folk-lore 
treasured up in family history. All these 


REBEKAH 


51 


things became to her, not only a matter of 
history, but as a part of her own life. The 
pyramids, temples, towers and people became 
real, and then imagination filled in all that was 
lacking. She, like most all young people 
delighted in things heroic. The story of Abra- 
ham and his protestant sacrifices, sufferings, 
faith and heroic efforts for the primitive relig- 
ion all appealed to her, like the stories of the 
Old Testament appeal to many a young mind 
today. The romance of their forefathers’ 
pilgrimage thro the land of many wonders in 
search of a new home stirred her imagination. 
But as now she was growing toward maturity 
of mind all these things had an interpretation 
— ^they seemed to lead somewhere, and she 
began to reason them out. It seemed to her 
that God had had a good deal to do with it 
all. He evidently did not like that country 
to the far Southeast very well, or else the peo- 
ple had not been doing to please Him all the 
time. What was the trouble? It was clear 
that God did not like idols, neither did Abra- 
ham. If God didn’t like them and Abraham 
didn’t like them, then she never could. But 
why did other people worship them? 

One evening Bethuel sat alone upon the 
summer roof propped in his seat with heavy 


52 


THE OLD TRAIL 


cushions, and in deep meditations when Re- 
bekah appeared. At first she paused to see if 
he were asleep, but he heard the light foot- 
steps approaching and spoke saying, “What 
is it, my daughter?” 

“Forgive me my father,” she said, “if I 
have disturbed thy rest.” She walked to his 
chair and putting her arm about his neck, 
kissed him. “My father,” she went on, 
“I have been thinking over some things you 
told us the other evening, but I do not under- 
stand them. Wilt thou tell them again to 
me?” 

“Thou art young and fair my daughter, 
and wise beyond thy years. What wouldst 
thou have me tell?” 

“Tell me, O my father, more about those 
cities and temples and our people. Why did 
they leave such a wonderful country?” And 
bringing a stool she set it in front of him and 
seating herself rested her chin upon her hand 
and her elbow on his knee and looked up into 
his face, eager to catch every word. 

“Well, my child,” he began deliberately, 
“it has now been many years ago and I was 
very young, yet I have heard my father Nahor 
tell it over so often. Our father Terah was 
a man in favor with the king. He was a skilled 


REBEKAH 


53 


artizan and made images for the shrines, and 
helped to adorn the great temple at Ur of the 
Chaldees. Abraham was taught in the same 
trade, but refused to make images and mocked 
at those who bought them. He was also 
trained in military science, and for twelve years 
was in the royal Academy, but fell under 
the influence of the royal Highpriest and others 
of like faith, and refused to worship the hosts 
of heaven, so his enemies persecuted him, and 
so did his father, till he fled to the desert. At 
last he returned, having had a vision and 
revelation from God, and persuaded Terah and 
all the family that it was wicked to make 
images and to worship the hosts of heaven. 
He declared that God had made the sun, moon 
and stars and that men ought to worship Him 
only. After a long time Terah and all the 
tribe gave up their idols and left with Abraham 
for this place. ” 

“But my father, were there idols in this place 
then as now?” 

“Yes, my child, but they did not compel 
men to worship them, and it was because this 
land was free from oppression that our people 
came hither. ” 

“But why, O my father, did Abraham leave 
this country again and go to another land?” 


54 


THE OLD TRAIL 


‘‘Because there were idols here, and he did 
not want to live with those who worshiped 
them. He also heard the voice of God in a 
dream saying, ‘Get thee up from among thy 
people and get thee into a strange land that I 
will show thee, and I will make of thee a great 
nation!’ ” 

“But why did not our people go along with 
Abraham to that country, too?” 

“Because we had much property here, and 
were established in this place, and besides that, 
we did not receive any call from God to leave 
this country.” 

“Abraham must have been a good man to 
be so favored of heaven. It all seems so won- 
derful to me.” 

‘•‘He was a good man, and a mighty prince, 
O, my child. They would have made him 
chief of this city, but he refused to live in it, 
and chose to live alone in tents with his tribe. ” 

“But my father, if it is wicked to make images 
and worship them, is it wrong to keep them?” 

“No, my daughter, it is not wicked to have 
them if we do not worship them.” 

“Well, father I thought if it were wicked to 
keep them in the house we ought to destroy 
those stored away in that east chamber. Why 
dost thou keep them father?” 


REBEKAH 


55 


“Because, my child, they were made by our 
ancestor Terah, and were brought from Ur of 
the Chaldees, and are kept as sacred reliques.” 

At this a servant entered and announced 
a stranger waiting to see the master. 

“Let him come,” said Bethuel, “and wel- 
come. ” 

As the man ascended the flight of steps and 
approached Bethuel arose to receive him in 
oriental ceremony, but on taking a second look 
he recognized an old friend and merchant from 
Damascus, Shemebeth by name, who had many 
years before migrated from Ur of the Chaldees 
and settled at Damascus. Bethuel embraced 
him warmly and led him to a seat where to- 
gether they talked long and late, discussing 
old time acquaintances and the changes the 
fleeting years had brought. The chief topic 
of conversation was the latest word from Can- 
aan, the land far to the southwest. Now for 
the first time Bethuel learned of the death of 
Sarah, wife of the patriarch Abraham. 

The visitor told of the reputed wealth of 
Abraham and his exalted iflnuence among the 
princes of the land, how his very name was 
held in reverence among them because of the 
Great Jehovah whom he worshiped. Again 
the story of the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah 


56 


THE OLD TRAIL 


was rehearsed, and how it had filled the natives 
of the land with fear lest the fires of heaven 
might fall upon them. 

“Hast thou heard of the covenant which the 
God of heaven hath made with Abraham? He 
is to be possessor of many lands and his king- 
dom is to be established forever. God, they 
say, is going to overthrow the nations of idola- 
ters and establish one universal kingdom. Of 
course I am only telling thee what I have heard. 
Abraham hath not said it, but his servants 
speak of it to others.” 

“Abraham is too far advanced in years for 
such a thing now. He hath no armies and is 
too old to lead them if he had. It takes mighty 
armies and war-like kings for such vast enter- 
prises. Besides that he cares for nothing of 
power, he would not even be chief of this city 
when he could.” 

“What you say is true, O my friend, but 
Abraham hath a son and the promise is accord- 
ing to reports, that his seed after him are to 
be possessors of all these things.” 

“There is hope among the faithful,” said 
Bethuel, “that the God of heaven will over- 
throw these wicked nations, as he overthrew 
Sodom and the other cities, and establishing 


REBEKAH 


57 


a new dominion. I do not know how or when 
and I am content as they are.” 

V The two talked together of the olden times 
in Ur of the Chaldees, and the faithful that 
had been scattered, the traditions treasured 
up in memory, the flood, the tower of Babel, 
the dispersion of races and tribes, memory 
serving the place of modern books and daily 
journals. Serious and sacred were many topics 
discoursed upon. When finally they arose to 
seek rest and slumber for the night Rebekah, 
who had been a silent listener to it all, came out 
from her hiding and embraced her father for a 
goodnight kiss. The visitor looked at her 
wondering, admiring, and said, “This is thy 
daughter I take it, for I have not seen her 
since she was a child, but how beautiful and 
fair!” 

Bethuel apologized for not introducing her 
before, in fact he was unaware of her presence 
since the man entered. The man laid his hand 
gently upon her shoulder saying, “The blessing 
of the faithful be thine,” and bowing they 
retired. 

Long after the men were asleep, and the 
dusty old city was silent, Rebekah sat alone 
upon the roof and watched the silver crested 
moon drop beyond the hills far to the west. 


58 


THE OLD TRAIL 


Her brain was active still and imagination was 
on the wing! She thought of The Great Aveng- 
ing Jehovah, of the New World, if it ever should 
be, and of that land of wonders far toward the 
setting sun. 


CHAPTER VII 


On The Summer Roof 

B ELZITH, for that was the young 
oiOficer’s name, was a Lieutenant in 
the army of Babylon, and for merito- 
rious service had been promoted and 
placed in command of the post at Orfa, some 
thirty miles above Haran on the northwest. 

The story is a long one and need not be told 
in full. The course of procedure was very 
simple; the post needed supplies and Bethuel 
needed a better market; and Laban, who 
always had an eye to good business, was easily 
cultivated. Courtship in those days, it should 
be remembered, differed at least in one respect 
from our time. Instead of dealing directly 
with the maiden in the case, the man must 
first go to the father, it being more of a business 
transaction, and her consent only a secondary 
consideration. But it would be easy enough 
for a brilliant young officer like Belzith, who 
stood well with the king, and with no small 
59 


60 


THE OLD TRAIL 


fortune of his own, to win his suit with a man 
like Bethuel. 

Belzith courted earnestly the friendship of 
both father and son, and all their business 
transactions seemed favorable to the purpose, 
till there came at last to be a sort of mutual 
understanding between them. The next and 
last step was easy enough 

One evening he stood with Rebekah on the 
summer roof. The sun was just sinking in 
the golden west with a refulgence peculiar to 
those lofty plains. The refractions of light 
through haze and mist spread a sheen of beauty 
over the receding hills, stretching far towards 
the distant river. The soft rays of dying day, 
left their tints on the fair cheek of Rebekah, 
while her eyes glowed with the luster of the 
evening star now blinking and smiling on them 
as if it knew their secret; He felt himself under 
the spell of her charms, and lover-like trembled, 
lest after all he might fail at last. 

“Thou hast always lived here,” he said after 
recovering his speech, “and seen but little of 
the great world. How much like a child thou 
art, and yet how strong in the simplicity and 
beauty of thy life.” 

“I have not traveled far,” she replied, “yet 
I have seen much of the world through the eyes 


ON THE SUMMER ROOF 


61 


of others. I have often heard my father tell of 
the great cities and the people far toward the 
rising sun, I have also heard others talk of the 
land of God that lies far beyond the great 
river. Many times have I climbed to the top 
of yonder hill and looked out to the distant 
mountains and the river, and wondered what, 
lay beyond them. I love best of all that land 
that lies toward the sea, ” — and she waved her 
hand toward the southwest. 

‘T will tell you,” he said, “of a land that is 
ancient, and cities that are hoary with age, — a 
land where the gods dwell, and men are all 
kings. “Ours,” he went on — “ours is the 
cradle of nations, where the immortal gods have 
made their dwelling from long ago. Babylon, 
the mother of kings, and the glory of kingdoms 
was founded by Nimrod, a mighty one in the 
earth, and established by the immortals who 
fix the destinies of men. Her armies tread 
down the nations; her men are like kings, and 
her women are all decked with gold. 

“Let me tell you a story, O fair Rebekah, 
which I learned from the astrologers at Ur, 
and which hath been confirmed by the wise 
men of Babylon: Once on time when the 
world was young, men grew wicked and the 
gods were angry at them. Ra appeared to 


THE OLD TRAIL 


Xisuthrus in a dream, and warned him that on 
the fifteenth day of the month Daesius, man- 
kind would be destroyed by a deluge, He bade 
him bury in Sippora, the City of the Sun, the 
extant writings, first and last, and build a ship 
and enter therein with his family and his close 
friends and furnish it with meat and drink; 
and place on board winged fowl, and four- 
footed beasts of the earth and when all was 
ready, set sail. Xisuthrus asked ‘Whither he 
was to sail?’ and was told, ‘To the gods, with a 
prayer that it might fare well with mankind.’ 
Then Xisuthrus was not disobedient to the vis- 
ion but built a ship five furlongs in length and 
two furlongs in breadth; and collected all that 
had been commanded him, and put his wife 
and children and close friends on board. The 
flood came; and as soon as it ceased, Xisuthrus 
let loose some birds, which, finding neither food 
nor a place where they could rest, came back 
to the ark. After some days he again sent out 
the birds, which again returned to the ark, but 
with feet covered with mud. Sent out a third 
time, the birds returned no more, and Xisuth- 
rus knew that land had reappeared; so he 
removed some of the covering of the ark, and 
looked, and behold ! the vessel had grounded on 
a mountain. Then Xisuthrus went forth with 


ON THE SUMMER ROOF 


63 


his wife and his daughter, and his pilot, and 
fell down and worshipped the earth, and built 
an altar, and offered sacrifice to the gods; 
after which he disappeared from sight, together 
with those who had accompanied him. They 
who had remained in the ark and not gone 
forth with Xisuthrus, now left it and searched 
for him, and shouted his name; but Xisuthrus 
was not seen any more. Only his voice an- 
swered them out of the air, saying, ‘Worship 
God; for because I worshipped God, am I 
gone to dwell with the gods; and they who were 
with me have shared the same honor.’ And he 
bade them return to Babylon and recover the 
writings buried at Sippora, and make them 
known among men; and he told them that the 
land in which they then were was Armenia. 
So they, when they had heard all, sacrificed 
to the gods and went their way on foot to 
Babylon, and having reached it, recovered the 
buried writings from Sippora, and built many 
cities and temples, and restored Babylon. Some 
portion of the ark still continues in Armenia, 
in the Gordiaean Mountains ; and persons scrape 
off the bitumen from it to bring away, and 
this they use as a remedy to avert misfor- 
tunes. ” 

“But thou speakest of many gods. We 


64 


THE OLD TRAIL 


know but one — ^the only true God,” she said 
with emphasis. 

“Thou art young, fair Rebekah, and know- 
est not the wisdom of the world. Let me tell 
thee about the great men of old — ^for there were 
giants in those days. Nimrod was a mighty 
one in the earth. He played with the wild 
beasts of the desert and fought with the kings 
of men. He made himself ruler of the world 
and thought to make himself a god and reign 
forever; but because the people were becom- 
ing so great and numerous he was afraid 
they would separate themselves and estabhsh 
another kingdom. And so he said, ‘Go to, 
now, and let us build a tower whose top will 
pierce the sky, and become the habitation of 
the gods forever.’ But the gods were jealous 
and fell into a dispute. At last Ra came down 
in the night and confused their language — ^for, 
they all spoke one tongue. Next morning when 
they arose to go about their work, lo! they 
could not understand one another. So the 
work ceased, for none would even undertake it 
again for fear of the wrath of the gods.” 

“But your gods are only idols. There is one 
only true God. Our fathers left that land be- 
cause of idolatry and oppression.” 

“What thou sayest is sweet and child-like, 


ON THE SUMMER ROOF 


65 


Rebekah, and may be true, but it is not the wis- 
dom of the world. Would thou couldst see the 
magnificent temples of Babylon. I could take 
thee yonder to the great temple of Merodach, 
which rises like the lofty mountains in its splen- 
dor. Or, if it please thee better, the temple of 
the “Seven Great Lights,’’ erected to the Sun, 
moon and five Planets. It shines in all the 
beautiful colors of those celestial deities. There 
stand the golden statues of the gods on thrones 
of gold, before tables of gold and on floors of 
gold. How great are these celestial beings who 
preside over the destinies of men. One must 
see their magnificence and learn their wisdom 
in order to receive their favor.” 

“But tell me more about the people,” she 
said, — “ and the women, are they beautiful and 
happy?’ 

“The houses are all palaces, and the women 
are all decked with gold, ” he replied. “ Wouldst 
thou go, my fair Rebekah, thou couldst revel 
amid beautiful gardens all the day, and sit under 
vine and palm tree at evening tide. The gods 
would smile on thee day and night and thou 
wouldst be always happy. It is a land of dreams 
and beautiful women. Once there thou would- 
st never leave it — ^unless the gods stole thee 
away. ’’ 


66 


THE OLD TRAIL 


He told her then of his military exploits, and 
ventures with wild beasts of the desert, of a 
long voyage once upon the sea. She was an 
ardent listener, and felt a strange sensation of 
delight under the soft vibrant tones of his voice. 
The evening was waning and the silver-crested 
moon hung low in the west when at last after a 
pause he turned again to behold the blush upon 
her face. Stooping suddenly he kissed her, say- 
ing, “ Farewell, my fair Rebekah. I will see thee 
again before another moon,” — and was gone. 
She stood silent and still, listening to the re- 
treating footsteps as he descended the stairs and 
disappeared in the shadows below. 

For a full week Rebekah wandered in a sort 
of maze. She thought of the wonderful city, 
the temples, the happy women — and Belzith. 
How strong and brave and handsome! And 
withal so gentle. She could not shut him out 
of her mind if she would, and she would not if 
she could. He seemed like another brother to 
her. Strange indeed were the sensations. She 
had never known love excepting that of kin- 
dred, and the peculiar thrill she felt at thought 
of him was a mystery to her. 


CHAPTER Vin 


A Battle With Robbers 

O NE evening in early autumn, Belzith 
and five of his companions rode up 
to the North gate. They were just 
returning from a ten days chase in 
the mountains, laden with trophies of their 
adventures. That evening a feast was spread, 
Laban serving as host, and the young men feast- 
ed to their hearts’ content. After many thrill- 
ing stories of their adventures and exciting 
encounters with wild beasts, and being served 
again with fresh wines, the young men returned 
to the post at Orfa. But before leaving they 
promised to entertain the young men of the 
city with a military drill. It was to come off 
the next full moon which was now less than three 
weeks ahead. 

Laban was to make all necessary prepara- 
tions, so far as local accommodations were con- 
cerned. For the next three weeks the young 
men of Haran were excited over the prepara- 
67 


68 


THE OLD TRAIL 


lions, and bent themselves to the task. The 
open field Southwest of the city was converted 
into an athletic park and the ground prepared 
for drill and target practice. On the appointed 
day the soldiers were on hand by the fourth 
hour, some fifty in number, and helped complete 
the arrangements. At the seventh hour, one 
o’clock by our mode of reckoning, the practice 
began. A great company of people assembled 
to witness the performance. It was something 
altogether new to them, but would seem very 
tame to us in this day of military science and 
improved munitions of war. Rebekah, with 
a company of maidens, had a good view from 
a tower on the southwest wall. 

First came the athletic sports in which the 
young men displayed good training. Their 
lithe figures and practice in the long marches 
stood them well in hand. The drill in marches 
and counter marches, evolutions and skillful 
handling of arms were highly creditable. Then 
came the target practice, first with the bow, 
then with spear or javelin which were the chief 
implements of war in those times. With the bow 
the principal target was a wicker shield, cov- 
ered with bull’s hide, at which they shot at a dis- 
tance of about seventy paces, seldom missing, 
and usually driving the arrow head through the 


A BATTLE WITH ROBBERS 


60 


shield. The handling of the javelin was still 
more skillful and more exciting. The instru- 
ment was a long shaft with a sharp metal point, 
which they held in the right hand, balanced 
horizontally above the head, and leaning back 
hurled it with terrific force, sometimes splinter- 
ing a four inch board. It was thrown either 
as they stood, advanced or ran. 

At last Belzith stepped briskly into the ring, 
lifted his shield, brandished his spear after the 
fashion of a gladiator. At this ten men leaped 
into the ring, stepped off sixty paces, wheeled, 
and each in turn hurled his javelin at him one 
after another; The people who had been sitting 
rose instantly to their feet, and stood amazed, 
but he caught each javelin on his brazen shield 
or turned the shield so that the javelin glanced 
off without effect. When all had thrown, one of 
them held his shield at arm’s length while Bel- 
zith hurled his javelin with terrific force, driving 
it through till the point projected a full cubit 
on the other side. There was a wild cry of 
“Bravo!” from the crowd. 

A soldier now steps forward, handing him 
a bow and arrow, while another stepped off 
sixty paces, stops, balances a pitcher on his 
head, and then Belzith draws the bow till it 
bends almost double. They heard the twang 


70 


THE OLD TRAIL 


of the bow, and the same instant saw the pitch- 
er break into fragments, falling to the ground. 
The people stormed and shouted their approval. 
The soldiers fell into line at a word, each lift- 
ing his shield and brandishing his spear struck 
a march and the sports were over. It was the 
first entertainment of the kind the people had 
ever seen and the soldiers were praised for their 
skill. 

That evening after a banquet served the 
young men by the citizens, all of them departed 
for the post excepting Belzith and some half 
dozen of his subordinates. He was standing 
again with Rebekah on the summer roof. The air 
was cool and crisp, and the belated moon was 
just climbing above the distant hills. He stood 
toying with a short sword that hung by his side, 
looking into her face as she spoke of the events 
of the day, and praised him for his bravery. 
He seemed to be studying her face, and read- 
ing her very thoughts before making reply, — 
or rather before making a declaration of love. 
Just at that moment a soldier came rushing up 
the outer flight of steps and approaching saluted 
the captain, and bowing gracefully to Rebekah, 
hastily reported to Belzith that a messenger 
had just brought the word that a band of rob- 
bers had broken in upon Bethuel’s cattle over 


A BATTLE WITH ROBBERS 71 


on the range east of the city, and after beating 
some of the servants unmercifully, had driven 
off more than a hundred head, and taken other 
plunder besides. There were about twenty of 
them according to report. 

Without waiting on ceremony, Belzith turned 
to Rebekah saying, “ Duty calls, and I must 
forego the pleasures of the hour. Fair Rebekah, 
farewell!” Reaching the ground, he despatched 
one of his subordinates on a swift camel to 
recall the men who were now on their way to 
the post, having been gone less than an hour. 
They were ordered to deploy in two bands, 
taking a southeasterly direction. He, with the 
other five men, were to make a detour from the 
South in the direction which the robbers were 
reported to have taken. They rode all night, 
till nearly daylight, when away over in a deep 
ravine some thirty miles to the northeast, they 
came upon the band. The cattle had evident- 
ly given out and they had stopped to rest. 
Belzith and his companions were just turning 
the hill when they heard a lowing of cattle, as 
though they had been suddenly disturbed. They 
slipped quietly along till they came close enough 
to see a smothered sort of fire almost concealed 
by the overhanging rocks. They thought first 
to make a dash upon them, but, not being sure 


THE OLD TRAIL 


72 

of their number or exact location, they concluded 
to await the break of day, and then make a sud- 
den dash. Quietly they slipped along the crest 
of the hill, leaving their mules hitched at a safe 
distance, and creeping down within a few rods 
of the camp, concealed themselves among the 
rocks and waited for light. They were eager 
for the fray. 

Just as the first light crept softly over the 
hills the men below began to stir. One started 
to replenish the fire; another went for water 
from the small stream running down the deep 
wady; others were readjusting their armor. 
Belzith counted them fifteen in all. Ten were 
well armed. To capture the whole band was a 
perilous undertaking for a half dozen men, and 
yet the joy of doing it was too strong a tempta- 
tion for men like Belzith and his squad. They 
watched their maneuvers from their hiding as 
a wild panther would watch its prey. At last 
Belzith gave the signal and six arrows flew like 
missiles of death. Then another and another, 
till five or six volleys had been fired. One man 
lay limp upon the ground, and two others were 
so badly wounded as to be of little service. 
Belzith called to them, saying, “ Lay down your 
arms and surrender or die, every one of you.” 
“ Come and take them ! ” was the reply, and they 


A BATTLE WITH ROBBERS 73 


now returned the shots with more deadly aim. 
There was no time to lose on the part of the 
aggressors, for their arrows were well nigh spent 
and they must close in at closer range. Belz- 
ith gave the word and they dashed down the 
hill closing in with their antagonists. When 
within about twenty or thirty paces they hurled 
javelins with deadly aim, the volley being re- 
turned by the enemy. Three of Belzith’s men fell, 
and three on the other side dropped to the ground. 
There were now four against nine, for all the 
robbers were now in arms, all but the six that 
had fallen. They soon closed in on each other 
and fought hand to hand with short swords. 
Three of the robbers closed in on Belzith at 
once, and would have over-powered him, but 
one of the Lieutenants, seeing his peril, seized a 
javelin and thrust one man through just as he 
rushed upon Belzith from the rear. He bore 
the other two men down and left them bleeding 
on the ground. 

When at last the battle was drawn, one of 
Belzith’s men lay dead on the ground, two others 
were badly wounded, and two more had a number 
of slight wounds. Belzith himself had a severe 
flesh wound, besides two or three cuts across 
the face. But the science and thorough train- 
ing of the soldiers were too much for the robbers. 


74 


THE OLD TRAIL 


six of their men were dead, five mortally wound- 
ed, and the other four were unable for further 
battle. The battle was scarcely over when one 
of the other two squads came up. They took 
charge of the cattle. 

That night Belzith and his squad were re- 
ceived with marks of honor when they reached 
Haran, but urgent matters called him at once 
to the Post. 


CHAPTER IX 


A Dream 

R EBEKAH had not dreamed of love, 
and yet it had taken hold of her so 
deeply that she could not understand 
herself. Novels were not read in 
those days, because there were none. Matters 
of that kind were not talked so much as now, 
especially before the young. And yet human 
hearts are the same everywhere, and hearts 
have always had their loves. Unsophisticated 
though she was, yet this first contact with a 
noble young heart of the opposite sex had awak- 
ened in her the noblest powers ever planted in 
the human heart. 

Often she thought of Belzith, and as she 
recalled that memorable night when they stood 
together upon the house top and he kissed her 
goodbye, she felt again that strange sensation 
that made her heart to thrill! And yet she 
never thought of him as a lover. Her heart 
seemed rather to be reaching out for something, 
or someone she had not seen. 


75 


76 


THE OLD TRAIL 


In fact, there had been building up in her 
mind from childhood a sort of fancy, woven out 
of the many stories and threads of family his- 
tory gathered from her father and the tribe. 

To that was added whatever tales or tradi- 
tions were picked up from strangers and visit- 
ors. Dreams were more common than they are 
now, because there were no books and the peo- 
ple in their simplicity lived nearer the heart of 
things. Her thoughts were on fewer things, 
and yet she thought; and imagination put in all 
the natural coloring. The story of Abraham, 
who was called “the friend of God,” and all 
the faithful who held to the worship of the One 
True God, appealed to her. All these impres- 
sions and hopes of a new world-empire began 
to assume definite form, and a great Prince of 
some kind would rule. And somehow in her 
dream she had caught a vision of a real prince 
and hero who would be a friend of God as Abra- 
ham was. 

Bethuel noted the change and the dreamful 
turn of mind, and naturally associated it with 
the charms of the young soldier. He knew, 
or thought he knew, that it all was simply the 
awaking of love’s first dream, but never once 
suspected that God had anything to do with it. 

One day Rebekah was returning from the 


A DREAM 


77 


field whither she had gone. The warm sun 
of spring time was bright and cheering to 
a young spirit like hers. Before reaching the 
well she sat down under a clump of trees to 
rest. While the leaves stirred gently in the 
morning breeze and the birds sang above her, 
she fell to musing; thoughts came trooping, 
and all the stories and pictures treasured up 
in memory came at a moment’s call. Then she 
thought again of the land and its cities, and 
the people far to the South, of the beautiful 
homes and palaces and temples and gardens 
and happy women decked with gold — and Bel- 
zith ! She had not seen him for several moons, 
but he would doubtless come again soon. She 
cast a long wishful look up the old trail toward 
the North. Maybe he would come today. 
But what of it ! Did he care for her, or did she 
really care for him? Was he really a friend of 
God, and a defender of the faith like Abraham 
and other pure souls? If so, she could follow 
him, she could love him — love him! She had 
not thought of it before, the idea was new. 
Love him! She was startled at the thought, 
and she felt again that strange thrill, and the un- 
finished declaration on the house-top that even- 
ing when they were interrupted. Reclining at 
last, and resting her weary head upon a turf of 


78 


THE OLD TRAIL 


grass that grew on the bank, she fell again to 
musing. Conflicting thoughts awoke, almost 
to confusion. Lying there looking up into the 
infinite blue, and watching the fleecy clouds as 
they floated toward the West, she thought of 
the great Infinite Jehovah, and Abraham, the 
friend of God. Her soul seemed to be reaching 
out after Him! 

With these conflicting thoughts she fell asleep. 
Out of her vague imaginations there arose a 
form — was it a dream? Did God send dreams 
to his servants in the olden times? Could He 
visit a simple-hearted maiden in a dream? 
Would He have an all-wise purpose that in any 
way involved the future and destiny of a pure 
young life in its first vague dreams of love? 
We shall see! Maybe it was only a mirage. 
Did the reader ever see that strange phenome- 
non upon the desert on a hot Summer’s day, 
when the sand, intensely heated, sent up a glim- 
mer in which the rays of sunlight are refracted 
so as to make the object stand out as from a 
lake of crystal water — sometimes reflecting the 
image of a distant object above the horizon? 

But what was it she saw — something like a 
caravan crossing the desert. It looked as if 
there might have been a hundred camels. No, 
there were only — one, two, three, five — ^ten! 


A DREAM 


79 


and they were decked with gold, and laden with 
precious things. Now they came near, halted 
at the well, and one like a prince alights from 
his kneeling camel and approaching her asks 
for a drink. She serves him from her pitcher, 
wondering at his lordly and gentle manner. 
Drawing from a case glittering gold and spark- 
ling jewels, he presents them to her, telling 
a wonderful story of a worthy young prince of 
untold wealth, and endowed with the richest 
promises of heaven. He had come from a far, 
country in search of a wife for this worthy 
prince. She stood in doubt till she heard the 
voice of God saying, “ Fear not my child, arise 
and go, doubting nothing, for I thy God will be 
with thee!” 

Rebekah awoke, quickly arose to her feet, 
startled, bewildered! She rubbed her eyes and 
looked about to see if she were really alone, but 
no one was near. Then she looked across 
toward the river and the hills beyond, she 
looked again and again, but saw nothing save 
the monotonous hills beyond which the desert 
lay stretching far to the West. There stole over 
her such a peace and such a feeling of confi- 
dence. Her heart fairly leaped for joy, while 
her eyes were dilated with wonderment, and 
dim with tears ! She stood for several minutes 


80 


THE OLD TRAIL 


dazed, transfixed with the vision, then took 
up her walk to the city. Should she tell it to 
any one.^ No, she would wait, maybe it was 
only a dream, but O, the joy of it! Could she 
keep it? 


CHAPTER X 


The Caravan 

O N the eve of that self same day Bel- 
zith, in company with a Lieutenant 
was riding down from the North. 
He was in full military dress, hand- 
some, strong, confident. The landscape was 
beautiful. From the undulating plain covered 
with a carpet of green, and laden with the 
breath of fiowers he looked away upon the 
mountains far to the East, and the hills on the 
West, and beyond them the Euphrates rolled 
her crystal waters toward the sea. As the two 
descended the slope they caught sight of the 
quaint old city of Haran. Belzith pointed 
toward the mansion over by the North gate 
with a sigh of relief, saying, “Tonight I shall 
dictate the terms of surrender.” 

“But thou mayest be willing to accept terms 
of capitulation before morning,” the other 
drolly remarked. Belzith would have more 
important business with Bethuel than at any 
81 


82 


THE OLD TRAIL 


time before. There had come to be a sort of 
mutual understanding between them though 
nothing to the point had ever been said. He 
was confident not only of his influence with 
Bethuel and Laban, but also of the charm he 
had thrown over Rebekah. Why should he 
not feel confident, he was in high favor with the 
king, and could establish his own pedigree be- 
yond all doubt. 

As they drew near the well they espied a car- 
avan coming from the West. They halted, 
counted the camels, ten in all, one man leading 
the procession and three other men driving the 
camels, laden with merchandise. The man 
leading looked like a merchant prince — who 
was he? They drew nigh the well, halted, dis- 
mounted from their kneeling camels. The mer- 
chant, or prince, or whoever he was looked 
about as if expecting some one, and then cross- 
ing his hands over his breast stood for several 
minutes in the attitude of worship. So devout 
was his manner that the two soldiers sat in 
silence till the stranger returned to his camel. 

“Who is he?” asked the Lieutenant. 

“A king, or rather the ambassador I should 
say, ” answered the other. 

So occupied with their thoughts and conver- 
sation were the two companions that they did 


THE CARAVAN 


83 


not notice at first a maiden appear at the well 
and fill her pitcher, till the man approaching 
her with a most courteous bow asked for a 
drink of water. They saw her with the great- 
est alacrity lower her pitcher and give him a 
drink, and then emptying the water into the 
trough run and draw water for the camels. 
The man stood wondering at her till it was all 
done, and then drawing from a silver case orna- 
ments of gold, placed one on her forehead, and 
one on each of her arms, while she stood in 
silent wonder! Now the man addressing her 
said, “Whose daughter art thou.^ tell me I 
pray thee, and is there room in thy father’s 
house for us to lodge in.?” 

She answered with courteous dignity, saying, 
“I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of 
Milcah, whom she bear unto Mahor. We have 
both straw and provender a plenty, and room 
to lodge in.” 

The man again bowed his head, and wor- 
shiped, uttering a prayer the observers did not 
hear distinctly. 

“Some notable friends of Bethuel, evidently, ” 
remarked the Lieutenant. “But who could 
they be.?” 

“Messengers of the king of Damascus, 
it may be, or the far west. Let us enquire 


84 


THE OLD TRAIL 


of the man himself.” And the two rode up 
closer, greeting the stranger after oriental 
fashion, as the less to the greater. “Come 
from afar I should judge,” Belzith remarked 
after the formal greeting. “From what coun- 
try I pray thee?” 

“Thy servant is from Canaan, the land that 
lieth far toward the great sea.” 

“Going to Babylon, or the far east, may 
I enquire?” 

“This is the end of our journey whither the 
Lord hath led us, ” he said. 

“Merchant, or representative of some great 
prince, I should say.” 

“My master is a mighty prince before the 
Lord, and I am come on an errand for him. 
The God of my master Abraham hath not 
forgotten His covenant.” 

Belzith marveled at the devout spirit of the 
man, and stood in doubt as to his mission, 
whether it were of military import, and whether 
it had any connection with his own country. 
The conversation went on after this manner for 
some time, the officer had not given any parti- 
cular attention to the flight of Rebekah, in 
fact it seemed only a few moments till Laban 
appeared. At his approach the conversation 
ended. 


THE CARAVAN 


85 


Laban came running to greet the men who 
were yet standing by the camels as Rebekah 
had left them. “Come in, thou blessed of the 
Lord,” he said, “Wherefore standest thou 
without, for I have prepared the house, and 
room for the camels.’ And so they disap- 
peared, leaving Belzith and his companion, 
wondering at all that had taken place. 

Now the casual reader may have wondered 
at the readiness of Rebekah to serve the stran- 
ger at the well, and receive the presents at his 
hands, and her excitement as she rushed back 
to the house to report what had taken place; 
and lastly her unhesitating consent to go with 
the man and become the wife of Isaac. Some 
may have thought her even weak, and wanting 
in independence of spirit and true womanly 
dignity. If so, was she worthy to be the wife 
of Isaac, and inherit with him the covenant 
blessings promised to Abraham? And did 
she not in after life show a stronger will and 
personality than even Isaac himself? How 
then do we account for these seeming contra- 
dictions of character? If the reader will 
recall the dream in a preceding chapter, to- 
gether with the natural bent of mind and the 
lessons treasured up in memory, the story 
becomes simple. The hand of Providence was 


86 


THE OLD TRAIL 


manifestly in it. And we can hardly believe 
that God was directing all the affairs at one end 
of the line and not preparing the way at the 
other end. The appearance of Eleazer at the 
well that very evening, the camels, the servants 
and the presents had all been foreshadowed in 
the vision only a few hours before. How was 
it? Was it a mirage, that phenomenon often 
seen on the desert when the reflections and 
refractions of light in the intensely heated sand 
mirrors in the sky the image of an approaching 
army or caravan, or presents more often the 
deceptive image of cooling springs or lakes of 
crystal water, luring the thirsty traveler to 
disappointment and death! 

Be that as it may, Rebekah’s doubts were 
all swept away when she saw at the well the 
very same white camel, and caravan, the 
counterpart of what she had seen in her dream. 
God was in it, and her heart leaped for joy, 
and went out to meet the heart of an unseen 
lover. There was no occasion for waiting ten 
days, to allow her companions to dissuade her. 
It was settled, her lot was to be cast with the 
people of God. Hereafter she was to be the 
mother of God’s people, and her name to be 
forever linked with the new Empire over which 
Shiloh should reign! 


THE CARAVAN 


87 


And the man came into the house and he 
ungirded his camels, and gave straw and pro- 
vender for the camels, and water to wash his 
feet, and the men’s feet that were with him. 
And there was set meat before him to eat; 
but he said, “I will not eat until I have told 
mine errand.’ ’ 

And he said, “Speak on. ” 

And he said, “I am Abraham’s servant. And 
the Lord hath blessed my master greatly, and he 
is became great, and he hath given him flocks, 
and herds, and silver, and gold, and menser- 
vants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. 
And Sarah, my master’s wife, bare a son to my 
master when she was old, and unto him hath 
he given all that he hath. And my master 
made me swear, saying, ‘Thou shalt not take 
a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaan- 
ites, in whose land I dwell: But thou shalt 
go unto my father’s house and to my kindred, 
and take a wife unto my son. ’ And I said unto 
my master, ‘Peradventure the woman will not 
follow me.’ And he said unto me, ‘The Lord 
before whom I walk, will send his angel with 
them and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take 
a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my 
father’s house. Then shalt thou be clear from 
this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred^ 


88 


THE OLD TRAIL 


and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be 
clear from my oath And I came this day unto 
the well, and said, O Lord God, of my master 
Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way 
which I go; Behold, I stand by the well of 
water and it shall come to pass, that when the 
virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to 
her. Give me I pray thee, a little water of thy 
pitcher to drink, and she say to me, ‘Both 
drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels ; 
let the same be the woman whom the Lord 
hath appointed out for my master’s son. And 
behold I had done speaking in mine heart, 
behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher 
on her shoulder and she went down unto the 
well, and drew water, and I said unto her, 
‘Let me drink, I pray thee.’ And she made 
haste, and let down her pitcher from her 
shoulder, and said, ‘Drink: and I will give 
thy camels drink also, ’ Sol drank, and she made 
the camels drink also. And I asked her, and 
said, ‘Whose daughter art thou?’ And she said, 
‘The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor’s son, whom 
Milcah bare unto him’, and I put the earring 
upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. 
And I bowed down my head, and worshipped 
the Lord God of my master Abraham, which 
had led me in the right way to take my master’s 


THE CARAVAN 


89 


brother’s daughter unto his son. And now if ye 
will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell 
me: and if not tell me, that I may turn to the 
right hand or to the left.” 

Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, 
“The thing proceedeth from the Lord, we can- 
not speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, 
Rebekah is before thee, take her and go, and 
let her be thy master’s son’s wife, as the Lord 
hath spoken.” 

And it came to pass that when Abraham’s 
servant heard their words, he worshipped the 
Lord, bowing himself to the earth. And the 
servant brought forth jewels of silver, and 
jewels of gold, and raiment and gave them to 
Rebekah, he also gave to her brother and to her 
mother precious things. And they did eat and 
drink, he and the men that were with him, and 
tarried all night, and they rose up in the morn- 
ing, and he said. Send me away unto my mas- 
ter. 

And her brother and her mother said, “Let 
the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least 
ten; after that she shall go.” 

And he said unto them, “Hinder me not, 
seeing the Lord hath prospered my way, send me 
away that I may go to my master.” 

And they said, “We will call the damsel, and 


90 


THE OLD TRAIL 


inquire at her mouth. ’ ’ And they called, Re- 
bekah, and said unto her, “Wilt thou go with 
this man? ” and she said, “I will go 
And they sent away Rebekah, their sister, and 
her nurse, and Abraham’s servant and his men. 
And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, 
“Thou art oiu* sister, be thou the mother of 
thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess 
the gate of those which hate them.” And Re- 
bekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode up- 
on the camels, and followed the man: and the 
servant took Rebekah and went his way. 


CHAPTER XI 


The Procession 

G OD’S ways become so natural in 
history that we fail to see anything 
supernatural in them. Rebekah’s 
departure for the new world and its 
new relations is nothing more than a common 
romance to the ordinary reader. In fact all 
of God’s ways are natural, ours are unnatural. 
But the common place events related in the 
twenty-fourth chapter of Genesis constitute a 
golden link in the chain of sacred history and 
have left their imprint on every phase of life in 
that place. The same old well called the “well 
of Rebekah” is there still. The time-worn 
steps down which she walked to draw water for 
Eliazer and the camels are no longer seen as of 
old, being walled up with the well, and men now 
draw with a cord and water-skin. There the 
servants gather with their flocks at eventide and 
thither the maidens come with their pitchers, 
wearing jewels, just such as Rebekah received 
91 


92 


THE OLD TRAIL 


at the hand of Eleazer. With the passing of 
four thousand years this story and its associa- 
tions have not grown old. 

The departure of Rebekah must have been 
a picturesque scene to the simple hearted 
inhabitants. Seated upon a stately camel, 
resting or reclining under a canopy for shade, 
her maid servants on another, Eleazer leading 
the procession, and the menservants bringing 
up the rear with the other camels packed with 
Rebekah’s belongings and other things necessary 
to the jomney. As they pass out at the North 
gate they bid a last farewell to Bethuel and the 
family, the servants following to the well, and 
swarms of attendants and friends take a parting 
look. Rebekah takes one long and tearful 
look over her shoulder at the old mansion then 
pulling the veil down over her eyes to conceal 
the tears, is committed to the journey. The 
procession looked like a caravan starting in line 
of march, the inhabitants of Haran never forgot 
it, and tradition has kept the story alive. 

Passing on they crossed the river Belik west 
of Haran, and descending through low hills 
they pitched camp the first night within sight 
of the Euphrates. Eleazer gave orders and 
the black tent was stretched for Rebekah and 
her maidens. Making her camel kneel he 


THE PROCESSION 


98 


assisted her to alight. Young though she was 
and beautiful, she was not unduly timid, as one 
might suppose, but with becoming dignity she 
presided over the preparations, commanding 
her maidens and giving orders to the men- 
servants, who waited eager and happy to obey. 
She already enjoyed the sense of her superiority 
and when the simple meal was ready assisted 
the maidens in serving. She felt even now that 
she had entered upon a course worthy of the 
highest qualifications, and the noblest woman- 
hood. The meal being spread the men gathered 
about, seating themselves upon the ground, 
and Eleazer as master of ceremonies lifting his 
eyes upward toward the stars uttered a few 
words of prayer and thanksgiving. The im- 
pression of it upon Rebekah’s mind was effec- 
tive; it was something new, and it raised the 
man in her estimation. If the servant could 
be so good and noble, what must be the son of 
his master! As the men dined with unmistak- 
able rehsh, Eleazer entertained Rebekah with 
a lucid description of the country through which 
they were to journey. 

The next morning at a little past sunrise they 
took up their journey. Passing on they came 
to the great River, and turning northward they 
followed its course, having the river on their 


94 


THE OLD TRAIL 


left and the high chalk cliffs on their right. 
In the afternoon they crossed over and striking 
the old trail they soon turned again toward the 
Southwest, passing by way of Karchemas, and 
Hamath, on toward Damascus. There was 
little change of scenery all the way only a dry 
desert with here and there a spring, and maybe 
a small stream of water which dried up in later 
season. Now and then a cluster of cypress or a 
plane tree, or an occasional green spot relieved 
the monotony. At last, after many days, they 
reach the plains of Damascus, and the valley 
of the Abana and Pharpar, when they rest and 
refresh themselves under generous palm trees, 
and their eyes feast on fertile fields and gardens 
where the air was laden with the breath of 
flowers. To Rebekah this was a foretaste of 
what lay beyond in the land chosen of the Lord 
for her future home, and the inheritance of his 
people. From here, bearing to the Southwest 
they pass on thro green pastures and wooded 
hills till at last they drop down the steep decline 
into the Jordan valley. Crossing at the ford 
some ten miles below its outlet from the Sea of 
Galilee they turn toward the South, keeping 
near the river On their left flowed the swift, 
tide of the Jordan, and to the right the hills 
rose sometimes steep and abrupt, with jagged 


THE PROCESSION 


95 


peaks projecting out into the valley. But the 
air was soft and balmy, and sweet with the scent 
of flowers, while the stately palm trees and 
olives lent a beauty to the landscape. Some- 
times Eleazer would stop and point out to 
Rebekah the places of special interest. Leaving 
at last the valley they ascend the hills to the 
West, and leaving Mount Gerezim on the right 
they came near the spot where Abraham erected 
his first altar to the Lord. Rebekah now felt 
that she was on sacred ground. Halting her 
camel she folded her hands across her breast as 
she had often seen Eleazer do, sat for several 
minutes in silence. At her request they pitched 
camp for the night. The sun was sinking 
behind the mountains and the long shadows 
stretching out across the valley, by the time 
all preparations were ready for the night. They 
were drawing near their journey’s end, and 
Eleazer was happy, not so much for the rest as 
for the joy of his success. The beauty and 
charms of the maiden had grown upon him 
every day of the trip, and the pleasure of 
presenting her to his master’s son was beyond 
expression, he could scarcely wait! And Re- 
bekah was falling into the whole plan as if she 
felt God had adopted her for his own. The 
meal being spread Eleazer looked up to heaven 


96 


THE OLD TRAIL 


and in long and earnest prayer gave thanks 
to the Lord who had prospered his journey; 
and as now they were nearing the end He would 
strengthen them for the last day. As the 
shadows grew apace and the stars came out, 
he talked of the land and its people, and of his 
pilgrimages with Abraham up and down the 
country, while Rebekah listened with a delight 
she could not conceal. Once, however, she 
thought of home, so far away, and cast a long- 
ing look behind, and bowed her face in her 
hands in vain endeavor to suppress a sob. 

The next morning they were off early, and 
soon Eleazer stopped to point out the spot 
where Abraham was met by the great Priest- 
King Melchizedec, on his return from the 
slaughter of the kings. In glowing enthusiasm 
he told of the patriarchal appearance of the 
holy man, and the speculations of the people 
about his mysterious character. x\bout the 
fourth hour of the day they passed within 
sight of Mount Moriah where more than twenty 
years before Abraham had offered up Isaac as 
a willing sacrifice to the Lord. It was the first 
real account of it Rebekah had ever heard. The 
only halt from there on was a half-hour for 
dinner. The course was down through a hill 
country, by short curves and angles across 


THE PROCESSION 


97 


running brooks here and there, and sometimes 
a deep wady. Rebekah removed her veil and 
studied the landscape. The camels quickened 
their steps as they drew nearer the end of the 
long journey. At last dropping down by 
rapid descent they struck an open plain, where 
herds of cattle were grazing, and flocks of 
sheep were seen here and there upon the hill- 
sides. Clumps of trees were growing along the 
small canyons, and the valleys were well 
covered with a carpet of grass. Rebekah knew 
by the steady gaze of Eleazer that they were 
drawing near the place that marked the end 
of their trip. Her heart seemed to rise up into 
her throat, and pound at her breast till it 
drowned the soft tread of the beast and the 
tinkling bells on his harness. In her excite- 
ment she let fall her veil and the wrap she wore 
about her shoulders till face and neck and 
shoulders were bare. 

That same evening Isaac had gone out into 
the flelds to meditate. Since Sarah’s death he 
felt lonely, and often sought solitude. Stroll- 
ing along he cast an anxious look now and then 
up toward the old trail. It seemed an age 
almost since Eleazer had gone, tho in fact it 
had been only twenty-one days; his return could 
not be reasonably expected for at least ten days 


98 


THE OLD TRAIL 


yet. And even then, how long would he have 
to search for a suitable bride, — and how long 
wait on her then, — and more than likely fail 
at last! Thus casting in mind he halted, 
listened to the drowsy evening song of a bird 
in the top of a sycamore tree, and watching the 
sheep slowly winding their way down the 
crooked path into the valley, he turned again 
toward the west. The sun was now touching 
the distant mountains, and the shadows grow- 
ing long. Isaac was just now in the full strength 
of his young manhood, and as virtual chief of 
a great tribe, and proprietor of a vast estate 
he naturally felt somewhat the importance of 
his position. Well born and well trained he was 
a splendid specimen of young manhood; hand- 
some, tall, of imposing figure, and striking 
in personality, yet of a retiring disposition. 
Walking alone in the soft light of evening he 
bore something of a princely air. Reaching the 
West side of the slope he cast another look over 
toward the old trail before turning to walk 
back toward home. The view was clear, the 
undulating tableland stretched far to the North 
and West. Scanning again the rising slope 
toward the North he saw an object just rising 
from a little depression, but at that distance, 
more than a mile, the object was not distinct. 


THE PROCESSION 


99 


Swinging around the curve at last he recognized 
Eleazer and the camels; but as they were in 
a straight line he did not see the women, and 
was ready to accept it as a fruitless errand. 
However, as they sheered a little to the West, 
the camels bearing the women came into view. 
He at once advanced to meet them, moving 
at an acute angle with the path they were lead- 
ing so as to interrupt their course just before 
reaching the tents. Being on a higher elevation 
his form looked stately against the background 
of shaded green. His head was bare, his hair 
was dark, his beard was black and glossy, and 
his eyes well set under a massive brow. A 
stranger would have said, “There goes a prince 
among men.” 

Eleazer, always looking straight ahead had 
not noted his approach till Rebekah called to 
him and enquired saying, “What man is this 
that walketh in the field to meet us?” She 
had marked his appearance, and was so charmed 
with the splendid form and handsome counten- 
ance, as well as his princely air that she, quite 
forgetting that her head and face were uncov- 
ered, gazed at him with admiration. “That,” 
said Eleazer, “is my master.” 

Rebekah at once recovered her wits and 
quickly drawing the veil over her face straight- 


100 


THE OLD TRAIL 


ened up and sat in her usual composure. Isaac, 
approaching as they halted within a few rods of 
the tents, saluted Eleazer with the accustomed 
oriental courtesy and with a low bow offered 
thanks to the Lord who had prospered his 
journey, and brought him back so soon. The 
latter alighting answered with a most reverent 
bow saying, “Blessed be the God of my master 
Abraham, who hath not left him without a son 
to inherit the blessings of the Covenant which 
he made with my master. He hath prospered 
me on my way to find a wife for my lord, and 
sent Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel whom 
Melcah bear unto Nahor, brother of my master 
Abraham. ” 

As these words were spoken Rebekah alighted 
from her kneeling camel, Isaac assisting her, 
and looking up into a face fair and beautiful. 
Her hair had fallen into careless tresses down 
her back, and her radiant eyes drooped just 
enough with modesty to lend a peculiar charm. 
As he looked straight into her face he thought 
he recognized a striking family resemblance to 
his mother, and at once took her to his heart. 

























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